Life Gets Even More Complicated
by Flying Through Clouds
Summary: Harry's father is really his uncle, and he has a brother everyone assumed dead. Percy is still recovering from the aftermath of the Second Giant War, when his godfather shows up, and he didn't even know he had one.
1. I: The Letter

**A/N: This is my first fanfiction, so please R &R. Other than that, grab your popcorn, kick back and enjoy the show. **

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Not many people knew that the famous Auror James Potter had a twin sister- also an Auror, just not as well known. Fewer still that she had a two-year-old son, or that two days ago she gave birth to another son, Harry Potter.

 **James Potter's POV – 15 years ago**

James heard a knock on his front door, and went to open it. And his jaw hit the floor. His new born nephew was on his front porch. What in Merlin's name was he _doing_ there? And where was Felicia? Still surprised, he picked him up and carried him into the sitting room where Lily was.

"Is that…?" his red haired wife asked.

"Harry. He was just lying there, on the porch, with Felicia nowhere in sight. I'm worried- it's not like her for her to just leave her son." He replied, worry etched on his face.

Their questions were answered by the morning newspaper in the most tragic way.

The house of Felicia Potter had a Dark Mark hovering over it. But her eldest son was nowhere to be found.

 **Poseidon's POV – 15 years ago (same night)**

There was a crash as the front door was kicked in. He and Felicia were in the nursery, about to put their newest son to sleep.

"Death Eaters! Grab Percy and go! Go!" the mother cried, pulling out her wand.

Poseidon shifted Harry into one arm, and picked up Percy. "But what about you?" he asked, worry for her creeping into his voice.

"This is what I do best, Poseidon. Now GO!" she replied as the Death Eaters thundered up the stairs.

That was the last time Poseidon ever saw Felicia Potter alive.

He reappeared on James Potter's doorstep. He set Harry down- James was his godfather. He would have set Percy down too, but it would be safer if they were apart. That way, Death Eaters wouldn't get them both at once. He knocked and reappeared outside a New York City apartment door.

Sally Jackson was a good friend of his. Poseidon left Percy with her. He would have raised the boys himself, but the ancient laws forbid that.

He returned to Olympus, wrote a letter to Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Order of the Phoenix, and Severus Snape, Percy's godfather. (He didn't leave Percy with Severus because it was too dangerous, him being a spy within Voldemort's ranks) Putting the letters in an envelope addressed to Albus, he hid it in Felicia's journal.

 **Albus Dumbledore's POV – Present Day, anniversary of Felicia Potter's death**

Albus sighed. 15 years ago, on this very day, Felicia Potter had died. She had been one of his favourite students. Opening his desk drawer, he pulled out a journal that had belonged to Felicia. Only recently had it fallen into his care, as one of her friends had possessed it until she had passed on just last week. (The friend in question had gotten all of Felicia's stuff) Albus opened it to the first page. To his surprise, there was an envelope addressed to him-and it wasn't in Felicia's handwriting. Opening it, he found another letter addressed to Severus Snape- he and Felicia had become good friends while in the Order (Much to her brother's irritation.). Puzzled, he summoned the Potions teacher to his office.

"Severus, somebody has left us letters, and left them in Felicia's journal." Albus told him upon his arrival.

 _August 2, 1999_

 _Professor Dumbledore-_

 _As you know, Felicia had two sons: Harry and Percy Potter. I am their father. I was with Felicia today, when the Death Eaters came calling. She told me to take our sons and go. And I did, and I regret leaving her to face the Death Eaters, but she told me "This is what I do best." I left Harry on his Uncle James' doorstep, and took Percy to a good friend of mine in New York City, Sally Jackson. I split the children up, so that if Death Eater's came for them, they would not get them both. I would have raised them myself, but the ancient laws forbid doing that._

 _P._

Severus had received a similar letter, but it explained why the father had not left Percy with his godfather as well.

Severus looked up from his own letter. "Do you believe it?"

Albus smiled. "It certainly does explain a few things. Such as, how did Harry end up on James' doorstep, or why Percy's body was never found. I think we should pay this Sally Jackson a visit."

"All this time….I thought my godson was dead. Does he even know he's a wizard? Or that he has brother?"

"I do not know. What I do know is that you should be the one to find him. He'll be seventeen now."

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 **A/N: Please R &R! I will take any questions about myself and post the answers in A/N's and on my profile page. I am also in need of a beta, so I will be taking volunteers for that position as well. **


	2. II: A Magical Reunion

**REWRITTEN! (For the most part) - 4/21/16**

 **Saxor131- Thank you soooo much! You were the first one to favourite this story! Kudos to you for making my day.**

 **Alaskawoman25- My first follower! Yaay!**

 **Matt- Read the chapter again. And going around and calling people morons is only going to get you punched. Hard.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I do not own PJO or HP. I am not Uncle Rick or J.K. Rowling.**

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 **Severus Snape's POV**

It took Severus three hours to track down Sally Jackson. Half an hour spent on looking for her in wizard records, half an hour to figure out how to work a computer (he was too proud to ask for help), and two hours to find her address. Wizards didn't exactly keep records of Muggles. Then he packed his bags, donned Muggle clothes (no reason to look like it was Halloween), and Apparated. He reappeared outside a New York City apartment building, sometime around noon.

He pressed the buzzer next to Sally's name. "Who is it?"

"My name is Severus Snape. You don't know me, but it is imperative that I speak with you and your son."

There was a long pause on the other end. "Percy isn't here right now- he is on a trip with some friends. But you can talk to me." Then she buzzed him in.

Sally introduced him to her husband Paul, and they sat down together in the sitting room. "Mrs. Jackson, I am Percy's godfather."

Then somebody knocked on the door.

 **Percy Jackson's POV**

It was the day after the battle. Gaea was obliterated, giants were dead (again) and Percy thought it was high time to see his mother. Nine months was long enough. Naturally, Annabeth came with him. They rarely were apart after their venture in Tartarus. Chiron was more than happy to let them go- no immediate threats, and Sally had called nearly every day asking if he had returned.

Hand in hand, Percy and Annabeth strolled down the street, smiling. "What do you think my mom will say, Annie? Will she give me the where-have-been speech or not?" Percy asked.

"Seaweed Brain, I think that for once, she will be much too happy to lecture you, and be too busy crying with relief that you're even alive."

He nodded, satisfied with that answer. Thinking of New Rome the son of Poseidon asked, "What do you think about retiring? I mean, letting somebody else save the day for once? Going to college, getting a job, settling down. It seems very appealing."

"Percy, I think that is a wonderful idea."

Just then, they reached his apartment building. He opened the gate and they went upstairs. Upon reaching his apartment, he knocked on the door.

Sally opened the door, and her eyes grew wide. Percy and Annabeth and Sally just stood there like that for a moment, staring at each other. Then she shrieked, and hugged them both. Percy held on as if he would never let go. He hadn't seen his mother in almost a year, which was far too long in his book. Never let it be said that Percy Jackson, Twice-Hero of Olympus, whom monsters run at the mere mention of his name, was not a Mama's Boy. In the background, here could hear multiple sets of footsteps – interesting, who else was here? – and his stepdad, Paul asking what was wrong. Then a gasp, and Paul joined the group hug.

When they finally pulled apart after a couple of minutes, Sally wiped tears off her face and so did Paul. It was then Percy noticed the stranger standing in the kitchen, expression unreadable.

"Well," Percy said, "Nice as it is to see you guys, who's the stranger standing in the kitchen?"

"Ummm...Percy…that is a _very_ long story." Sally told him, sounding and looking uncomfortable. What was going on here?

Annabeth glanced up at him, looking tired. He probably did too. From the way his mother said it, his instincts were telling him to not get too settled in again. And his instincts had yet to fail him.

 **Severus Snape's POV**

Severus looked at his godson. He was curious as to why Sally and Paul reacted how they did, as if they hadn't expected to see him ever again. What kind of trip did him and his friends go on? There was more to the story than meets the eye- like why Sally hadn't mentioned that Percy was coming home today. He looked at the blonde girl, Percy's girlfriend if his arm around her shoulders was anything to go by. Did she go on the trip too?

After introductions were made, he took a deep breath, he launched into his story.

"Wizards and witches are real. Around thirty years ago, in Great Britain, a Dark wizard rose. His name was Voldemort. One of the people fighting back against him and his cult, the Death Eaters, was named Felicia Potter. She had two sons, a two year old and a new born, respectively. This was fifteen years ago. Two days after the youngest was born, the Death Eaters-"

Previously, Percy and Annabeth look rather tired- but now Percy had fallen off the couch from laughing so hard. When his godson had calmed down enough to speak, he said, "Death Eaters? Who would want to eat Thanatos?" and immediately collapsed in fits of giggles.

Annabeth was laughing softly as well. "Funny as that is, I don't think that's what he meant, Seaweed Brain."

Feeling miffed, this was a rather serious topic! "This is no laughing matter! The Death Eaters have killed wizards and muggles alike, and are absolutely not something to joke about!"

Growing serious, Percy looked him dead in the eye. "Mr. Snape. I know that they are serious matter. But when the days are dark, and the future even darker, you learn to find the light in the all-encompassing darkness. It reminds you of everything you have to live and die for, and gives you the strength to keep on fighting."

Severus was concerned now. The look in Percy's eyes was very similar to that of the Order members, after the first war with Voldemort. After they had seen their friends die before their eyes in the midst of battle. Old. Guarded. The eyes of his godson said that he had gained that wisdom through experience. No seventeen-year-old should have that look in their eyes.

He took another look at Percy and Annabeth. Now that he thought about it, Annabeth had that same look too. What kind of hardships have they endured?

Swallowing, he continued his story. "As I was saying, the Death Eaters showed up at Felicia's house. They killed her, and tried to kill her two children. Somehow, the new born, Harry Potter, ended up on his uncle's, who was also his godfather's, doorstep. The elder son's body was never found, but he was presumed dead as well. A year later, the Death Eaters came for James, Lily, and Harry Potter. The Dark Lord himself came. He used the Killing Curse on James and Lily. When he tried to do the same on Harry, who was barely a year old, the curse backfired onto the Dark Lord and he was vanquished.

"Fifteen years later, a letter was found in Felicia's things. They were written by the father of the two boys, whom nobody knew all that well. He was there the night she died, and was the one who took Harry to his uncle. The most startling discovery was that he had taken his older son to live with a friend in New York City. Supposedly he did this so that if Death Eaters got to one brother, they wouldn't get the other. This friend is your mother, Sally Jackson. Percy, you are the long lost son of Felicia Potter."

Percy shook his head. "You're lying. You must be. I'm not some wizard."

Pale-looking, Sally spoke, not looking at Percy. "He's not lying. Neither I nor your father ever expected anyone to come for you, which is why we never told you. Looking back, we should have at least told you. But after you turned twelve, we did not wish to burden you further. I love you just as much as I would if you were my biological child."

The boy's eyes were glassy. He put his head in his hands, and his shoulders shook with silent sobs. Annabeth was hugging him. Severus moved to show some kind of support for his godson, but she shook head no.

Severus was now really uncomfortable. He just waltzed in here, dropped the biggest explosion charm, right after what must have been a stressful and traumatic event.

Paul was first to break the supremely awkward silence that had blanketed the room. "Well, I can't say that I saw that one coming."

Drying his eyes, Percy snorted humourlessly. "I don't think any of us saw it coming." Turning toward him, "Does my brother know I exist?"

"And can you show us any proof that you don't belong in the loony bin?" Annabeth added, speaking out.

Sighing inwardly, he replied, "Seeing as your brother had just been born, and adopted by James and Lily, the world assumed that Harry was theirs. Not even Harry himself knows the truth- it was easier that way. However, the Order of the Phoenix, a secret group dedicated to fighting the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, knows. We have refrained from telling him for two reasons: we didn't know if the author of the letter was lying or not; he didn't know when he came to Hogwarts four years ago," _Bloody muggles_ , "and telling him that he had a brother, but that he was dead, would only cause him pain.

"I would have taken custody of him myself after James and Lily died, but Dumbledore had squirrelled him away 'somewhere safe'. I have my suspicions about where he put Harry, but I hope that I'm wrong because Dumbledore is smarter than that." Then Severus pulled out his wand. Waving it, and thinking the appropriate spells, caused his glass of water to tip over, smash, fix itself, and dry the carpet. Raising an eyebrow in Annabeth's direction, "So, do I belong in the 'loony bin'?"

Looking a little shocked, she shook her head.

Looking at the group apologetically, "I feel bad by telling you this, but this past June, things took a turn for the worse on our side of the pond."

The whole group, but especially the teenagers, had an expression that said, " _No, really?_ " after he said that.

Forging ahead, "There was an international wizarding tournament at the school Harry attends, and he was entered bya Death Eater in disguise. In the final event, the imposter had rigged the trophy they had to find as a portkey. Harry and the other Hogwarts competitor were transported to an unknown location. At this location, his fellow competitor, Cedric Diggory, a seventh year, was murdered by another Death Eater. Then things go even farther south. Harry's blood was used in a ritual that gave Voldemort's soul a body again. I regret to tell you that the Dark Lord has risen once more. The Ministry of Magic is denying this, but it is true."

All four of them seemed to become older and more tired at this rightfully depressing news.

Sally looked at Percy and Annabeth, then turned to look at him. "I think you should go back to camp with Percy and Annabeth…Chiron needs to know about this. Although knowing Chiron, I bet he already knows about you wizards." she said to him. _Who's Chiron? And why would he know about wizards?_ If there were Muggles who knew about wizards with no ties to that world…

His godson nodded. "We should be getting back soon anyway. Leo's thing is tonight. You should come too, Mom. Chiron might want you to confirm some things."

Everyone stood up. Sally went into the kitchen to grab her keys. Paul went with her, saying he had to finish some lesson plans. That left Percy, Annabeth, and Severus alone in the room. "So what's the big secret? You're obviously hiding something. What exactly was that trip you were on about? And who're Chiron and Leo?" Severus asked, a tad bit forcefully.

At the last name, Percy flinched pulled Annabeth closer. "That's what you're going to find out. It's a bit easier to explain if we showed you. I'm warning you though…when you get there, be careful. You're not one of us, and everyone's still jumpy after yesterday. One wrong step, you'll find yourself impaled faster than you can say ' _Di Immortales!'_ " Annabeth said coolly.

That was definitely a threat. Which was good, since it means she's smart enough not to trust him yet. Severus didn't blame her, either. If he was in her shoes, he wouldn't trust himself. Who would trust somebody who shows up, claiming he's a wizard?

But what did she mean by "Everyone was just getting back on their feet" and why did they have swords?

Who exactly _are_ these people?

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 **A/N: Please review. I love, love, love getting reviews. As I mentioned before, I am taking questions about yours truly and posting the answers in my A/N's and on my profile page.**


	3. III: Golden Eyes and Darkened Whispers

**A/N: I am absolutely, dreadfully sorry. Please don't hurt me. In my defence, though, I had a LOT going on. Model UN (WMIDMUN XIV! Shout out to all of y'all who went, if you're reading this.), a Commonwealth Governor's School application, projects, school, softball, then I was introduced to Supernatural.**

 **I got into CGS, by the way. I am quite proud of myself. But just a warning, next school year, I am going to have a lot on my plate academically. I'll do my level best to not go on any spontaneous hiatuses without warning at least. That was rather unfair of me on my part.**

 **Note on the timeline: Everything in HOO happened a month earlier. So the final battle occurred on July 1** **st** **, not August 1** **st** **.**

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 **Percy Jackson's POV**

Percy was tired. There was no other word for the pure physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion he felt.

Two wars, one right after the other. So many deaths. Leo died yesterday, along with many, many other demigods. Camp Half-Blood was in ruins. Just a few weeks ago, he and Annabeth returned from Tartarus, for Zeus's sake! Now this…this _wizardly_ side of the family? Which is also, not to mention, in a war of their own? Can't the Fates cut him some slack for once?

Why couldn't his brother have come from a family of bankers? Nice, normal, not-part-of-a-magical-war bankers?

Why?

Sighing dejectedly, he looked up at his mother, his amazing mom who put up with so much, and said, "Hmm?"

"What did you mean by 'Leo's thing is tonight'?"

With a lump in his throat, he looked at his beautiful Wise Girl, the silent request on his face. She answered the question for him. Her voice thick with emotion, "Leo's dead. He died yesterday afternoon. He died saving us all. The funeral is tonight."

Sally put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my gods…he was such a good kid, I can't believe it, oh, I'm so, so sorry." She then pulled them into her arms, and Percy buried his head in his mom's shoulder. Sure, she wasn't his birth mom, but they loved each other all the same.

A couple moments later, he looked up to a sympathetic Paul and a vaguely uncomfortable-looking Severus. "We should get going."

~~~LGEMC~~~

The car ride was quiet. There wasn't a whole lot to say; his godfather knew his numerous questions were going to be answered at this mysterious "camp," and his mom was going to find what had happened soon enough. Most of it, anyway. Percy didn't want his mom burdened by the knowledge that her son and girlfriend had gone through Hell and met the Greek and Roman equivalent of the Devil incarnate, AKA Tartarus.

The car slowed to a stop near Half-Blood Hill. Annabeth, his mother, and he could see Camp, but he didn't know about his newfound godfather. Judging by the raised eyebrows, apparently he could.

Severus looked at Percy, silent request for an explanation apparent on his face.

"This is Camp Half-Blood, one of two places is the world that is truly safe for my and Annabeth's people. And it was a war zone until yesterday afternoon." He told Severus, sadness filling his voice during the last sentence. "And just a reminder, please be careful and stick with one of us; we're all on edge here."

The foursome trudged into Camp, heading towards the Big House. Severus was looking all around with wide eyes; at the busy infirmary, the Roman encampment, the ruined pavilion. It broke Percy's heart to see his home looking so war-torn.

Then he saw Jason on the porch of the Big House with Piper. He waved them over. "Hey, Percy, Annabeth, Aunt Sally. Nice as it is to see you though, who is this guy? I don't recognize him." The son of Jupiter asked.

"That's why he's here. I need you and Piper to round up Chiron, the cabin leaders, Thalia, Grover, Reyna, Frank, and anybody else of importance. Bring them to the ping-pong room."

Jason whistled. "Wow, that important, huh? I'll go get them. Chiron's in the Big House with Poseidon, he came by looking for you."

"Thanks for telling me- we have a _lot_ to talk about."

They looked at each other, knowing that gods don't just drop by without a good reason.

"I imagine this pertains to the sudden gathering of important people?"

"You bet. Life just got even more complicated."

Once the couple walked off, they found Chiron and Poseidon in the Big House's living room. Chiron smiled warmly, but Poseidon paled considerably at the sight of Severus. He had recognized the wizard, and knew the implications. "Hello, my son. And it's good to see you again, Severus. You must have finally found my letter at last." Despite his father's new pale complexion, his voice had held strong.

Annabeth spoke up. "Now, I'm sure you have plenty of questions, but they can wait until everybody gets here. Then we can explain the magically charged mortal in the room."

Chiron and Poseidon both started talking at once.

"You're going to tell them about the wizarding world?!"

"Wait- that man's a wizard? What's he doing in Camp Half-Blood?"

"That is unwise course of action- you've been kept in the dark for a reason!"

"How do _he_ and _Lord Poseidon_ know each other?"

Percy made placating gestures. "Chiron, we'll explain when everybody gets here. Dad, yes we are going to tell them. My brother, who I didn't know existed until today, is a demigod. People are going to ask questions about where's he's been. And my godfather has a right to know why his godson is covered in scars and has PTSD." That shut up Poseidon, and left Chiron speechless and flabbergasted- now that was something you didn't see every day.

Severus looked as if he was going to say something, then thought better of it.

A rather tense five minutes later, Clarisse, Reyna, Frank, Hazel, the Stolls, Katie, Will, Nico, Grover, Nyssa, Thalia, Rachael, and an out of breath Jason and Piper filed into the Big House. Everybody crammed around the ping-pong table, pulling up extra chairs for Sally, Severus, and the praetors. Poseidon took Mr. D's usual chair.

Reyna, looking intimidating as ever, levelled a stare at Percy. "Percy, why have you gathered us here? Who are the two mortals?"

Percy held Annabeth's hand under the table, and took a deep breath. "For those of you who don't know, the woman is Sally Jackson, my adoptive mother. For those of you who do know, hold your questions until the end. The man is Severus Snape, my godfather. I'll tell you what he told me this afternoon.

"There are wizards in this world. In Great Britain, some thirty years ago, the equivalent of a wizard terrorist, rose to power. He believed in the superiority of purebloods, wizards who come from all-magical families. His name was Voldemort, and his followers were called Death Eaters-"

At this, the whole table was in laughter, minus Poseidon and Chiron, although the latter had a small smile. Nico was laughing the hardest, before coming to some sort of realization.

Admittedly, Voldemort was a ridiculous name and sounded a lot like "Mouldy Shorts."

Once the laughter died down, Nico spoke in a quiet and angry voice, "I know who that is. And my father and I are very, very, irritated by him. He is the epitome of evil- splitting his soul into pieces, and torturing innocent people to death and madness. Hades has a special place in the Fields of Punishment for when Tom Marvolo Riddle finally dies."

If Severus wasn't curious before, he certainly was now.

"I am not surprised, Neeks." Percy said. "Anyway, there was a group dedicated to fighting the Dark Lord, called the Order of the Phoenix. Seventeen years ago, one of its members, Felicia Potter, gave birth." Some of the teens' and Chiron's eyes grew wide as he saw where this was going. "That baby was me. Two years later, she gave birth again, to my younger brother. Poseidon is still the father, in case you were wondering. And of course, there was a prophecy. It seems bad luck is in our blood- there was prophecy, saying that a child born as the seventh month dies will have the power to destroy the Dark Lord. My brother, Harry Potter, was born on July 31, and is the subject of that prophecy. Long story short, Death Eaters killed Felicia, Dad took Harry to my Uncle James and his wife, Lily, and me to Sally Jackson in New York. He split us up for our protection. A year later, the head honcho himself came and killed James and Lily, tried to kill Harry. The spell bounced back, however, and the Dark Lord's body died, but a piece of his soul lived on.

"Of course, Harry has the legendary demigod bad luck. This past June, during and international tournament at Harry's school, a rigged trophy transported him and a classmate of his to an unknown location, where his classmate was murdered and Harry's blood was used to give Voldemort's soul a body again. The Dark Lord has risen. Even more unfortunately, the Ministry of Magic denies this fact."

Silence greeted the end of the story. Many looked at Poseidon with shock on their faces.

"Okay! Any questions?" Percy said in contradicting bright manner.

Reyna, Frank, and Chiron looked at each other, a silent message passing between them. Reyna stood, looking at Severus. He was the representative of the wizarding world. "Severus Snape, if you are expecting us to fight in your war against your Lord Voldemort, we will not. Every single one of us is a war veteran. Most of us are two-time war veterans. Yesterday afternoon, we won a war. We had just begun to recover from last summer's war when we were thrust into another one. We must bury our dead, and I can say with fair certainty that every single demigod in this room has PTSD. We will not fight in your war, not unless is becomes our problem." She then stared at the wizard defiantly, with her jaw set.

After a moment, he replied in an assertive voice. "I don't know why teenagers would be fighting in _wars_ , and I find the very idea repulsive. I would never in a million years ask you to fight in this war. I came to New York looking for my godson, who everyone thought dead after his mother Felicia was murdered. Only recently did I find out, after a letter written by Poseidon was found in a journal of Felicia's.

"Now can somebody please explain to me who you are?" He demanded.

There were many expressions of relief. They wouldn't have to go to war again.

Everybody looked to Percy to explain the demigod world to Severus. Sighing, he said "Do I have to?" in an overly dramatic voice. An intense debate between the campers followed as to who would explain what. It ended with Percy explaining that the gods were real, then Nico and Reyna take turns telling the story of the Second Titan and Giant Wars. The short version.

After several pointed looks and hushed whispers, Nico, Reyna, Percy and Annabeth decided to leave out the trips to Tartarus. Percy really, really did _not_ want his mom and godfather to know about that particular venture.

Percy turned to Severus, already in full-on counsellor mode, the kind he used on new campers. "Severus, have you heard of the Greek and Roman gods?"

"Yes." His godfather's voice betrayed no emotion.

"They're real. You're going to deny it, but they're very much real. Everything from Greek and Roman mythology is real. Even the Underworld. In the ancient days, gods went around Earth having kids. They're still doing that. Every teenager in this room is a demigod, except Grover. He's a satyr." Said satyr put his hooves on the table, only for Hazel to scold him.

Percy's first impression of Severus was a man not easily flustered. This proved to be correct. He was taking the whole gods-are-real thing very well. Most new campers break down, called them crazy, and so on. Severus just stared at him for a solid minute. Percy could see the inner turmoil in his eyes, the denial. Then acceptance. "I'm skeptical, but I believe you." Sighs of relief all around. "That still doesn't explain everything else."

Percy winced. _This should be fun,_ he thought sarcastically.

 **Reyna Ramírez-Arellano**

 _This morning, prior to the Wizard Revelation_

Reyna was ready to collapse. Too much had happened far too quickly. Shadow traveling across the world, then the battle, then staying up all night running around, helping the medics, catching up on matters she missed while fetching the Athena Parthenos, and handling the aftermath of Octavian's temporary rule over Camp.

It was a wonder she hadn't passed out yet. Her stomach growled, reminding her to eat. When was the last time she ate? Reyna couldn't be bothered to remember. She dropped off the fresh bandages and unicorn drought from the supply tent at the infirmary. Then she made her way over to the dining pavilion at Camp Half-Blood. Just as she sat down with some grilled cheese and soup, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

Jumping up and turning around, she glared at whoever dared to disturb her. She was cranky when exhausted. She relaxed when she saw that it was just a Roman messenger.

"Praetor, the eagles just brought this in from Camp. It's from the medic in charge of the Camp's medical facilities."

"Thank you, I'll look at it while I eat." She smiled in thanks at the messenger, who then went to get their own breakfast.

Sitting back down, she opened the letter. Why would Amanda, the Camp's chief medic, send this letter to her, instead of the chief field medic?

 _Praetor Reyna,_

 _Three days ago, a seventeen year old boy appeared on the camp's borders, wearing torn and dirty yellow and black clothes. They were like some kind of uniform. He was clutching an unusual stick in his hand. We took him back to the camp infirmary, where he woke up the next morning._

 _He identified himself as Cedric Diggory, and as a British wizard. A wizard! We thought he was crazy, until he performed some spells, lifting a pillow and even a food tray with a word and flick of that stick, which turned out to be his wand. Then he demanded to know where he was, and who we were._

 _We didn't know what to tell him, so we told him the truth. Maybe we could form an alliance with these wizards? He took the news pretty calmly, all things considered. He responded with, "Well, if wizards are real, then gods and demigods aren't so much of a stretch. We both shouldn't exist."_

 _The more troubling matters are the ones that brought him here. Diggory told us that he was participating in an international school event, called the Triwizard tournament. During the third task, both he and a boy named Harry Potter grabbed the trophy at the same time (this because both he and Potter thought the other should win, and came to the compromise that they would both take it) and were transported to a graveyard. Here, Diggory was hit by a green spell, known as the Killing Curse. This curse, according to Diggory, is one of the three Unforgivable Curses, expressly forbidden._

 _Cedric Diggory died that day. Our theory is that he came back life before the Doors of Death were shut, and before Thanatos was freed, since he's still here._

 _Amelia M. Daniels_

 _Chief Medical Officer of Camp Jupiter_

 _Third Cohort, Daughter of Apollo_

Reyna sighed and rubbed her forehead. Looks like that nap would have to wait. The world just grew tenfold again. She's not even surprised by this stuff anymore. Finishing the last of her breakfast, she stood up, only to be confronted by Jason Grace and Piper McLean.

"Reyna! Percy and Annabeth are back from the city, and they've called a war council meeting- all the important people need to be there. Percy brought his mom too. Something big is going down." Jason said between pants.

"Hi, Reyna. Did you sleep at all last night? You look exhausted." Piper said, sympathetic.

"Not a wink. How about you? And this better be important, because I just got a letter from Camp that requires immediate attention. Huge problem. Where's Frank?"

Raised eyebrows from the couple. Jason spoke first. "Percy and Annabeth seemed pretty serious about this. You can announce this problem at the meeting, and we were going to get Frank after we found you. Wait, never mind. He just walked into the pavilion. He's walking over here-"

The son of Mars clapped Jason on the shoulder and smiled tiredly at the trio. "Hey guys. I don't know about you, but I am dead on my feet."

Reyna smiled back. "Same here. Listen, Percy and Annabeth have called a war council meeting. Everybody who's somebody. I also got a letter from camp, and we all have a huge problem on our hands."

Piper and Jason left, and the two praetors began the walk to the Big House.

~~~LGEMC~~~

 _Present time, after Percy explains the basics of the Greek/Roman pantheon._

Nico went first. "Seventy-five years ago, the current Oracle of Delphi gave a prophecy, tell how a demigod child of the eldest gods would make a choice that would either destroy Olympus or save it. It was believed that the eldest gods referred to Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. They swore an oath to never have any more kids. Zeus and Poseidon broke their oaths- evidenced by Thalia, Jason, and Percy. Hazel and I are from the forties. Five years ago, the Titan Kronos began stirring. He turned some demigods against Olympus, taking advantage of their anger towards their godly parents. Luke Castellan was the first. He became the general of Kronos' army of demigods and monsters. Many battles later, everything climaxed last summer. Percy was thought to be the demigod mentioned in the prophecy, and led Camp Half-Blood into battle when Kronos' army invaded Manhattan. Mount Olympus floats above the Empire State Building. This happened on Percy's sixteenth birthday. The gods had to go fight an ancient and powerful monster, Typhon, who was raging his way through Missouri at the time. Luke had become the vessel for the spirit of Kronos.

"Percy fought Kronos himself, while Jason fought the Titan Krios. The Romans were waging their own battle that day. In the end, Percy, Annabeth, and Kronos were in the ruins of the gods' throne room on Olympus. Annabeth coaxed Luke back into his own mind, and then Luke killed himself, before Kronos could return to his true form, where he would unstoppable.

"Many, many, demigods died that day. Not one over the age of twenty-five."

Reyna saw that Thalia's jaw was clenched, and Annabeth's head was buried in Percy's shoulder. She had heard about how closed the two had been to Luke before they all came to Camp Half-Blood. Hearing about all of that must have dredged up painful memories; plus the added emotional vulnerability that came from a war ending only yesterday. (Not even twenty-four hours ago!)

Reyna let that sink in for a moment. Then she cleared her throat and told of the Second Giant war. Of how Hera kidnapped Percy and Jason, then how the goddess was kidnapped herself. Of how Percy, Frank, and Hazel went to Alaska, kill a Giant, and brought back the Legion's eagle. And the quest for the Athena Parthenos. How Percy and Annabeth's "Unintended solo mission to close the Doors of Death." How Nico nearly killed himself getting the statue back to Camp in time to prevent the Greeks and Romans killing themselves. And ending with Leo's sacrifice. "…while Jason kept Gaea aloft, Piper used her charmspeak to sedate her, and then Leo atomized her, and himself. And then it was all over."

She gave very little detail.

This was very recent, and a raw emotional wound, after all. It would only do harm to go on about it.

The war only just ended yesterday.

 _Yesterday._

Shaking her head, she stopped that line of thought. Now was not the time to have a breakdown.

Now for the difficult part. Explaining how a dead teenage British wizard showed up at Camp Jupiter.

"Severus, this morning a received a letter from the Chief Medical Officer of Camp Jupiter. She told me a British teenage wizard, Cedric Diggory, showed up at Camp three days ago. Based on his story, he died before Thanatos was freed and the Doors were shut. I believe he was the student that was killed in the Tournament."

Just like ripping off a Band-Aid. No beating around the bush.

Severus stared at her with that truly fantastic poker face of his. (She'd have to ask him what his story was- one doesn't learn a poker face like that by living an apple-pie, white picket fence kind of life. Perhaps it was something to do with the war against this Lord Voldemort Percy mentioned earlier.)

And kept staring. If he stared like that any longer, Reyna might just think they actually shocked him.

Reyna felt the air ripple and become charged with a mysterious energy. Hazy white tendrils of the Mist snaked throughout the room, emanating from the space behind Severus. The demigods looked around with wariness and confusion. She rested a hand on the hilt of her sword. What was causing this?

The white Mist condensed behind Severus, then glowed a soft green. A woman appeared. She was tall, with ebony hair spilling to her shoulders in soft waves. She wore white robes, covered in silver swirls and black runes. She radiated pure power.

A goddess, then. Recalling Hazel's account of Hecate, how the Mist gathered in her presence, that this must be her.

"Hekate*. What brings you here?" Poseidon greeted, neither friendly nor threatening.

She smiled at him, appearing friendly yet guarded. "Oh, many things. I come to see my children, they did just win a war yesterday afternoon. I also come since one of my people has encountered the Greco-Roman pantheon in unprecedented ways."

Severus looked indignant at the "one of my people" comment. "One of _your_ people? What right do you have to say that?"

Reyna winced. He obviously had no clue who he was speaking to. Gods have smote people for less disrespectful behaviours before.

"I realize not all of you know who I am. Because of this, I will let your disrespect slide. I am Hekate, Trivia to the Romans. The Goddess of the Mist, Magic, Crossroads, and Ghosts. Roughly two thousand years ago, I blessed a group a group of humans with magic. They have grown into the global subculture you know today. Sometimes I bless normal children with magic at birth; they are the Muggle-borns. The wizards are my people. The fact that I am also a goddess of ghosts means that I am responsible for sending my dead to the Underworld, which is why Thanatos did not collect Cedric Diggory after he was freed."

"Another little known fact is that all demigods are capable of wielding the same brand of magic as wizards. This is due to their divine blood." Then she smiled a bit at the demigods. "So if Percy decides to go to Hogwarts, then you could go with him."

"Oh, and before I go see my children: The situation with Tom Riddle has been escalating, and he is delving into matters he shouldn't be." And with that, she turned and walked out of the war room.

A contemplative silence filled the air after the goddess left.

 **Percy Jackson's POV**

Percy did _not_ like rehashing the two wars he had survived. Dredging up old memories of the Second Titan War, on top of the past several months, including yesterday? Trying to be optimistic, he focused on the fact that Tartarus was artfully left out of the conversation. "Unintended solo mission to close the Doors of Death" was one way to put his and Annabeth's vacation to the Pit. An unintended shudder passed through him as memories of controlling poison and endless armies of monsters washed over him. Annabeth's head came to rest on his shoulder, grounding Percy in the here and now, as if she knew what he was thinking.

Here and now- there was more pressing matters at hand. Hecate had said "If Percy goes to Hogwarts." He didn't know about magic school, but he definitely wanted to meet his brother- and find out where he's been living when not at school. Severus didn't know, but if his godfather's suspicions were right, then it wasn't anywhere good.

They had a _lot_ to talk about before meeting his brother.

~~~LGEMC~~~

 **POV Unknown**

 _Little Hangleton, England_

The sun had set a few hours ago. A tall, thin, snake-faced man, though "man" was a rather generous description, sat at head a long table. His followers sat at the table's sides, listening to their lord as he described a master plan of insane proportions.

"Halloween night, the night where the boundary between our world and the spirit world is thinnest. That night, we shall gather. That night, I shall summon forth Tartarus, the spirit of the abyss, and he and his monsters shall devour our enemies."

* * *

 **A/N: You're welcome for that long chapter. Ten pages, 4355 words.**

 **I do my best writing while traveling, and as I type, I am 34001 feet above the Pacific Ocean on my way to visit my sister in Hawaii. I just love love love flying. My mum hates it, but it's the best part of the whole trip to me. And I get ten whole hours of air time each way. Shout out to anybody who's ever flown out of Dulles Int'l (IAD). And anybody who's ever flown in a Boeing 767, it's my first time in one and I love it.**

 **Bottom line: Expect another update sometime in the next week.**


	4. IV: Of Sadness and Surprises

**A/N: I have an idea. I am unbearably saddened by the lack of Artemis Fowl/Supernatural crossovers. (I really, really like crossovers if you haven't noticed) Saddened by the dearth of AF/SPN crossovers, I intend to write one myself. I'll only start after I'm well into this story and updating it with consistency.**

 **I know it's been a while, but I am literally buried under Mount Homework. (building those nerd muscles!)**

 **Note on the timeline: it's July 2** **nd** **in the story, the Demigod Delegation (that's my nickname for them) and Severus will be leaving for Britain on July 16** **th** **, and the Dementor Incident will be on the 17** **th** **.**

* * *

 **Cedric Diggory's POV**

 _Camp Jupiter's dining pavilion, July 2_ _nd_

Cedric could hear hushed whispers as he walked through Camp Jupiter's dining pavilion.

 _Look, there's the new guy! Did you hear, the medics say he's a_ wizard _._

 _Who's his sponsor?_

 _Who's his godly parent? I bet it's Hecate, if they're saying he's a wizard._

 _They say he died and came back, like Gwen._

The Roman legionnaires didn't just whisper. They stared, like he was a fish in a fishbowl. Cedric wondered if this was how it was for Harry Potter. He had a newfound respect for the fourth year.

He allowed himself a small smile, and thought, _these guys have nothing on Hogwarts' rumour mill. My schoolmates are much more vicious and public opinion is never the same two weeks in a row._

He was a stranger in a strange land. Alone, without his friends, his House, not even another wizard was present by his side.

Deciding that sticking with familiar faces was the way to go, he sat down at the medics' table. Cloud nymphs flew around the open-air pavilion, carrying large platters of food. Despite being used to grand displays of magic, seeing actual nymphs straight out of Roman mythology (only not quite as mythical as he once thought) was surreal.

The Hufflepuff looked at the cup in front of him, wondering if they had pumpkin juice here. Lo and behold, his cup filled with pumpkin juice. It looked and smelled and tasted just like the pumpkin juice from Hogwarts- a little piece of home.

The medic girl from earlier – Amy? No, Amelia – looked over at him. "How are you feeling? Are you feeling okay?" She asked, a concerned note to her voice.

As cool as this place was, he just wanted to go home. Reassure his parents and Cho that he was okay, that he was alive. "I want to go home. My parents must think I'm dead, and I have a girlfriend, my entire life is back across the pond," he told her longingly.

Amelia looked at him, saw how saddened he was, and her expression softened. "I know you're feeling out of place right now, but that won't last. Once we hear back from Praetor Ramirez-Arellano, we'll figure out what you're place in our society is. You suggested that our cultures could work together; maybe you could act as a liaison."

"Could I at least send my parents a letter? They deserve to know that their only son isn't dead."

"You can't, and I'm sorry for that. Until Praetor Ramirez-Arellano gives the all-clear, you're not to leave."

Well that wasn't ominous at all.

He might as well be their prisoner.

Dinner was pretty quiet after that, just fielding the occasional question about magical society. It was so different from what he was used to. Yet it felt so right at the same time…as if the ambient magic of this place was welcoming him home. Which it shouldn't be, as he possessed a completely different brand of magic than these demigods. Right?

A loud caw echoed through the air. An enormous orange and black bird soared towards the pavilion. As it neared, Cedric's heart beat faster as he realized what it was - an ossifrage. The bearded vulture. All around him, legionnaires' eyes widened. Why, he did not know.

The ossifrage landed in the middle of the pavilion, and suddenly, the bird wasn't a bird anymore, but a man. He was tall, with wavy salt-and-pepper hair. The Romans got very excited, not in a loud way, but reverent. Amelia knelt down, and then reached up and pulled him down too.

"That is Sancus, the god of loyalty, the protector of oaths, and a wielder of lightning. Don't do anything stupid and show him proper respect." The medic hissed at him.

Cedric's week just got even more fantastical, if that was even possible. A god – a _god_ – was less than ten feet away from him.

The pavilion was silent. Not a single legionnaire spoke. Everyone was waiting, metaphorically holding their breath. Sancus ( _a god!_ ) looked around the pavilion, his head held high, scanning the faces of the legionnaires. It was like the immortal was searching – but for what? Or rather, who?

The god's eyes finally landed on Cedric. The young wizard swallowed. Then Sancus spoke, and questions were answered.

"I have come to claim my son, Cedric Diggory."

 **Percy Jackson's POV**

 _Camp Half-Blood, after Hecate gave her announcements_

"If I went with you back to Britain, and to this bird society, hypothetically, when would we leave and could Annabeth come if she likes?"

"Order of the Phoenix, the Order for short. We would leave in a couple of weeks, on the sixteenth, and yes, Ms. Chase could come if she so wishes." His godfather replied.

The daughter of Athena smiled and looped an arm around Percy protectively at this. "Great- because he's not going anywhere without me."

Nico and Reyna looked at each other, speaking in hushed whispers. Then Reyna spoke. "Would other demigods be able to go too?"

At this point, Severus had been fielding questions of all kinds from the demigods for almost half an hour after Hecate left.

Percy glanced over at his godfather as he tiredly responded to Reyna's question. "Who and how many?"

"Just myself and Nico. I also would have to take a quick trip to Camp Jupiter to settle some… political matters before we leave." Percy nodded in understanding; Octavian had seriously undermined her power by taking charge of the army. Not to mention the whole deal with having three praetors – Jason might have stepped down, but Frank had taken his spot.

Annabeth stood up and started writing on the whiteboard behind her. "So we have myself, Percy, Reyna, Nico, anyone else?"

Will looked over at Nico. It was the kind of expression that only someone who cares about someone else can pull off – a stern face that bordered no argument. His cousin sighed tiredly, "Will's coming too."

The sunny blonde nodded in affirmation. "I am his doctor; and somebody needs to be able to pull him back together after he overextends himself. No offense, Mr Snape, but I highly doubt your healers have experience with demigods."

Severus looked around the room with a raised eyebrow, "Anything else?" Chiron looked around the ping-pong table. Percy thought that the centaur seemed to have aged at least a decade since he had last seen him.

"I think we're good, Sev. This meeting is adjourned; there is still much to do to be ready for tonight's feast and memorial services."

Everyone stood up and meandered out of the war room, chatting about magic and wizards, and memorial preparations – Percy caught word of express making of burial shrouds. _Now that is depressing…_ Percy, Annabeth, Sally, Poseidon, and Severus stayed behind.

"Okay, Perseus," Percy winced at his full name, "I'll stay here and talk to your mother about arrangements for myself for the next two weeks."

Annabeth stood up, pulling Percy with her. "C'mon, Seaweed Brain. There's work to be done." She said with a sad smile. Percy was sad too. Not just "sad", but grieving, traumatized, and angry with the Fates.

He didn't even want to think about the body count. So many lives cut short, some not much older than twelve years old. _Thank the gods Chiron made all the demigods younger than that hide in Cabin Nine's bunker._

Annabeth was right – yet again – there was a _lot_ of work to be done. The Apollo kids and Roman medics were working overtime in the infirmary, helping the wounded. Camp Half-Blood and the Roman field camp had damage all over; some of the cabins were going to get an unplanned remodel and renovation. The Demeter kids and satyrs were going to have to replant an entire swath of forest. An improvised burial crew were preparing the shrouds and bodies.

They stood with their arms around each other on the steps of the Big House, watching the controlled chaos. "You know what, Wise Girl? After we take down this Voldemort, let's retire. No more quests, no more wars. We'll focus on college. Get jobs in mortal society, train the next generation of demigods."

She looked up and smiled at him. "I like the sound of that." She paused and looked back at the camp. "Where do think they need the most help?"

"I don't know…but I do know that I want to help Jason and Piper with Leo's burial shroud."

"Let's go do that."

 **Cedric Diggory's POV**

 _Camp Jupiter's dining pavilion, July 2_ _nd_

Cedric sputtered. "Excuse me? What do you mean, 'your son'? My father is Amos Diggory, and my mother Maria Diggory would never be unfaithful!"

The Romans look scandalised at what they considered to be a disrespectful outburst. Cedric couldn't find himself to care all that much. He knew who his father was – and he wasn't some god. And if he was, then where had he _been_ for the last seventeen years? Where was he when he bloody _died_ in that graveyard?

He must have spoken this aloud, because Sancus looked down with an ashamed and remorseful expression. "Perhaps we could continue this conversation elsewhere?" the god asked.

Crossing his arms, Cedric looked at Sancus distrustfully. "Fine."

They walked away from the crowd, who had resumed their hushed whispers. Approaching the lake, they sat down on one of the benches.

Sancus looked over at him. "I met your mother before she met Amos. We went on a few dates together, and then it was over. After she met your father, she discovered that she was pregnant with you. Maria didn't know who your father was, but I knew the moment you were born. Any sort of demigod powers you possess would have been written off as accidental magic.

"When you died, I felt it. And I mourned. But I also felt it when you came back to life outside of Camp Jupiter's borders. I came as quickly as I could, my son.

"I being your father does not negate the bond between you and Amos; rather just adds another relationship. You have two half-sisters by the way – Empanada and Fides, goddesses of food/protection, and trust respectively."

Cedric sat there, staring at the lake, digesting this new information. Sancus really was his biological dad. He had sisters! Not just one, but two!

"You mentioned demigod powers. What exactly do you mean by that?" the newly discovered demigod asked.

Sancus chuckled. "Well, I am the god of loyalty, honesty, and I can wield lightning, not on Jupiter's level, but still. You might be able to discern between lies and the truth, sway people's loyalties one way or another, and you're immune to being killed by electricity. I'm not entirely sure about this, but you might be able to control any electricity near you."

"Okay, I'll admit, that's pretty cool…but what do I do now? I have a life back in Britain, I can't just abandon it." Cedric replied.

The god looked over at him, then above his head to the east, at the darkening sky. "I suppose…you're a sixth, yes?" Cedric nodded. "Then you can go back to Britain for the school year, and come here for the summer. Many demigods with lives outside of the Camp do just that. In fact, Camp Half-Blood for the Greeks is based off of that system."

Suddenly, Amelia came sprinting over to them with an excited expression. _What's up with her? Did something happen?_

"Cedric! Reyna just sent a messenger eagle! She said that she's coming to camp tomorrow!" she blurted out, panting heavily.

He smiled at the medic. "Woah, calm down, breathe a bit. May I see the letter that Praetor sent?"

Still breathing heavily, Amelia handed Cedric a rolled up piece of white paper.

 _Amelia Daniels –_

 _There is peace between the Romans and Greeks, and soon we will draft a treaty to ensure the peace lasts._

 _Earlier today, after I received your letter regarding Cedric Diggory, a combined Greek and Roman council was summoned to Camp Half Blood's war room. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase had gone to visit Percy's mother this morning (the first time in almost a year Percy had seen his mother) and his newly discovered godfather had paid a visit. His godfather is Severus Snape, a wizard just like Cedric Diggory. In fact, based upon what he told us, he is one of Cedric Diggory's teachers._

 _Percy Jackson is the son of Felicia Potter, a witch who died in a wizarding war when Percy was two. His younger brother (also a son of Poseidon) was born two days before Felicia's death. Harry, the younger brother, went to live with his aunt and uncle, Lily and James Potter, Felicia's twin brother. Poseidon gave Percy to Sally, a friend of his. He kept them apart for their own protection. A year and half later, James and Lily were killed by the same wizard who killed Felicia. Harry is now attending Hogwarts, a school for wizards, and is now fifteen._

 _Percy and Annabeth will be going to Britain to meet Harry; Nico di Angelo, Will Solace, and I will be accompanying them. I wish to bring Cedric Diggory home to Britain with us. We leave on the sixteenth. Tomorrow, I will be returning to camp briefly with Severus Snape to settle some political matters._

 _Spread the word of this: Jason Grace has resigned his praetorship, and named Frank Zhang the new praetor in a field promotion._

 _Praetor Reyna Ramirez-Arellano_

 _Twelfth Legion Fuliminata_

Cedric looked up at Amelia, then Sancus. Then back down at the letter. He sat down hard. "Harry's a _demigod_? James and Lily weren't his parents? And he has a _brother?_ " The young wizard was shocked. This information would turn the wizarding world upside down.

Amelia shrugged at this. "Apparently. I'm not as surprised as you, since I've not gone to school with him." She bowed to Sancus. "My lord, if I may take my leave, as I have more patients waiting for me in the infirmary… and Cedric? I suggest that you prepare yourself to meet the Praetor and go to Camp Half Blood. I can only imagine the fallout from the Giant War over there…"

Sancus nodded in approval at Amelia. She turned around and left, walking with purpose towards the infirmary. "Good night, my son. I shall see you soon. Oh, and I suggest that you close your eyes." Cedric responded in kind, and closed his eyes. He could feel a warmth and extremely bright light and his godly father was gone.

Cedric sighed, and ran a hand through his dusty brown hair. Four days ago, he was Hogwarts First Champion, and running a maze. Three days ago he died and came back to life, and was thrown headfirst into the world of gods and unimaginable monsters…and today he discovered that he was a demigod. He snorted. Cho would never believe this. _She wouldn't be able to…gods don't fit into her logical worldview…yet I don't want to keep this a secret from her. If she can't accept it, then well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it._

 **Reyna Ramirez-Arellano's POV**

 _July 2_ _rd_ _, Camp Half Blood_

The amphitheatre was quiet, and solemn. The remaining members of the Seven, Nico, Thalia, Will, and Reyna sat at the front in the centre. Sally, Severus, Poseidon, Chiron, and Mr D were standing off to the right of the amphitheatre.

At seven o'clock sharp, they rose. (Sally, Poseidon, Severus, Mr D, and Chiron remained seated.) They walked to stand in front of the campfire, which was dark charcoal in colour. The colour was reflecting the mood of everyone in the amphitheatre; the grief, trauma, devastation.

Percy stepped slightly in front of them to address the crowd. "We are gathered here today to say goodbye to the two hundred and thirty heroes we have lost to the Second Giant War. We have come to give them our gratitude, for without their sacrifice, we would not be here today; Gaea would have wiped out humanity by now. The life of every hero who died, died with bravery and selflessness. They gave the ultimate sacrifice, and I can only hope that we can let it not in vain, by working together in this new era of peace.

"Marcus Andrews, son of Hephaestus." Two people walked up, carrying a body in a bronze shroud, with metallic black gears, his name in red letters.

"Alexis Fredericks, daughter of Demeter." Two more people walked up, carrying a body wrapped in a light green shroud, with golden cornstalks and blue vines embroidered on it, her name in dark green.

"Cristina Holt, daughter of Apollo." Another body in a shroud.

"Katrina Morris, daughter of Apollo." And another.

"Zayden Sorenson, son of Hermes.

"Brett Thompson, son of Ares.

"Margaret Williams, daughter of Ares."

Percy paused, letting friends and family come down to the pyres in the campfire, to pay final respects. Reyna watched with a sombre expression; not wanting to show too much emotion, trying to appear strong for her people.

It was hard. One of the most difficult things she had ever done. She really wanted to sink to her knees, shake her fist and rage at the Fates for cutting all of these short.

Jason picked up where Percy left off. "Caroline Watts, daughter of Libertas.

"Dylan Evans, son of Vulcan.

"Samer Bishay, son of Mars.

"Nessa Drake, daughter of Mercury."

They continued on. After Jason, Annabeth went on with the next section of the list. Then Frank. Then Piper, Hazel, Nico, Will, and finally herself. Then back to Percy. On and on and on, until they came to the las name.

Leo Valdez.

The group stepped back, allowing the focus to be on Jason and Piper.

Jason went first, Piper's arm around his waist. An incomplete trio. "Leo Valdez was one of the funniest people I know, always cracking a joke, always grinning like a mad scientist. Leo was always-" At this point, Jason choked up, and buried his head in Piper's hair.

The daughter of Aphrodite picked up where her boyfriend left off. "Quick to help a friend in need, or offer a comforting hug. He was a genius too – reconstructing the Archimedes spheres once lost to time, and rebuilding the metal dragon known as Festus, and saved our lives on multiple occasions.

"And his bravery. Without Leo, Gaea would not have been defeated forever. He gave the ultimate sacrifice – his very life. He will not be forgotten, and neither will the lives of the two-hundred and thirty heroes who gave their lives alongside him."

And the memorial was over. The demigods and Roman legacies made their way down to the bonfire and other burning pyres – which had magically expanded to accommodate the number of fallen warriors – to pay their final respects.

* * *

 **A/N: I had more planned for this chapter, but it felt wrong to add more on after that solemn, depressing scene. Don't worry – you'll get to the good stuff in chapter 5.**

 **Clouds**

 **28 March 2017**


End file.
